Chapter 313: Going with the Flow

Chapter 313: Going with the Flow

The back mountain was serene, with a cool autumn breeze.

Madam Wan's kneeling added an extra layer of desolation to the atmosphere.

Her words were even more shocking.

If someone else were in Su Mo's shoes, they would not only be outwardly surprised but also inwardly bewildered.

Madam Wan, being the wife of the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall and the sole heir of the Marquis family of the Western Frontier, held a status and position that required no one else's help.

Yet, Su Mo couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

Madam Wan truly lived up to her reputation; her personal involvement was indeed the highlight.

However, no matter what he was thinking inside, his expression remained unchanged. He quickly stepped forward, gesturing as if to help her up:

"Madam Wan, please rise! What is this about?

"Such a grand gesture is something I, Su Mo, cannot bear."

Seemly mindful of the propriety between genders, he did not actually touch her. Despite his apparent concern, he allowed Madam Wan to remain kneeling.

Madam Wan, oblivious to his thoughts, felt that her kneeling had indeed put Su Mo in a tough spot.

She felt a hint of satisfaction inwardly, but her face showed even more sorrow:

"If Chief Escort Su does not save me, I fear my life will be ended in an instant."

"Madam, watch your words!"

Li Zhongming couldn't stand to listen any longer and quickly interjected, "You are the wife of our Hall Master of Wusheng Hall. Who would dare to slight you?"

"Who else but Wan Yutang would dare?"

Madam Wan's face showed even more resentment:

"Who else but Wan Yutang?"

"What!?"

Li Zhongming's expression changed drastically:

"This... this can't be true. You have been married into Wusheng Hall for many years now, and you and the hall master have always been as loving as ever. Why would you say such a thing now, of all times?"

"As loving as ever..."

Madam Wan's eyes seemed to flicker with memories. After a long pause, she glanced at those present and sighed softly:

"Today, Hall Master Li sent someone to the rear courtyard to find me, saying that an assassin claimed the hall master had sent someone to assassinate Ding Wugong and frame Ren Xiongfei.

"All because... because I was involved with Ren Xiongfei.

"Ha ha ha..."

She couldn't help but laugh, but as she did, tears began to fall.

"This is utter nonsense!!"

"Chief Escort Su, since I married into Wusheng Hall, Wan Yutang has treated me with indifference.

"In name, we are husband and wife, but in reality, for the past year or two, we... we have never been intimate."

"Ah..."

Su Mo was momentarily stunned, feeling that this might indeed be true.

Last night, he had overheard the conversation between Madam Wan and Wan Yutang, knowing that the real Wan Yutang had been harsh and distant to Madam Wan.

Later, when the imposter Wan Yutang arrived, Madam Wan immediately saw through his disguise.

If what Madam Wan said today is true, then for over a year, they had only the title of husband and wife, without any real connection.

This matter, of course, is not something to be spoken of publicly.

The imposter Wan Yutang didn't know about this, and when he made advances...

If this were indeed the case, then naturally, Madam Wan would see right through him.

The imposter Wan Yutang would probably be utterly shocked.

Not only did he usurp the position of the hall master of Wusheng Hall, but he also acquired a wife without effort.

Unfortunately, this lady is not someone to be trifled with.

Otherwise, that night, a body would surely have been carried out of the bedroom.

As Su Mo thought this, the hall masters around him were too stunned to speak.

Deng Fengbai, visibly shaken, was the first to speak:

"How... how is this possible?

"Madam, in front of Chief Escort Su, you must not make baseless accusations!"

"I am a woman, how could I fabricate such a story? Do I... do I really have no shame?"

Madam Wan suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of grievance, pain, and hatred, her voice trembling with emotion, and in a swift motion, she stood up from the ground:

"Now that it has come to this, since he has slandered me and Ren Xiongfei, I am not afraid of being humiliated.

"Chief Escort Su is here today, and I will lay bare the truth, asking for your fair judgment."

Su Mo nodded without hesitation:

"Madam, please speak freely. Although it is said that even a wise official cannot judge family matters, truth and justice will prevail.

"If Hall Master Wan is truly at fault, we will not stand by and let it go."

Li Zhongming felt that Su Mo's words didn't sit right with him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

"With Chief Escort Su's words, I feel reassured..."

Madam Wan sighed softly.

"This is a long story, and it must be told from the very beginning.

"To be honest, when I was young, I was no ordinary girl.

"My family was from the western frontier, quite prestigious in the region.

"Therefore, when I was still unmarried, it was said that I only wanted to marry the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall.

"Because at that time, I truly admired the reputation of Wusheng Hall, and the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall must be an extraordinary person.

"Only by marrying such a hero could I consider my life fulfilled.

"But I never expected that these words would eventually bring disaster.

"At that time, the old Hall Master of Wusheng Hall had just retired, and Wan Yutang naturally succeeded his father to the position.

"But because of my words, the old Hall Master also issued a decree that if he wanted to be the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall, he must marry me!

"This matter... everyone here should know."

Li Zhongming and others immediately nodded. This past event might not be well known to the young, but those present were all Hall Masters and Deputy Hall Masters of various halls.

Even if they hadn't personally experienced it, they had heard of it.

Li Zhongming even spoke up:

"That's right, Madam comes from the Hou family of the western frontier, the first family heir of the region.

"Marrying the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall was indeed a beautiful story at the time."

"A beautiful story..."

Madam Wan sighed deeply: "If I had foresight and could see the future, I would never have spoken so recklessly, leading to all the subsequent events.

"But unfortunately, at that time, I could not see the future, only knowing that the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall was truly willing to marry me, and I was both shocked and delighted.

"Finally, I joyfully put on the red wedding dress my mother had sewn for me, sat in the sedan chair from Wusheng Hall, and married into Wusheng Hall!

"On the wedding day, I could not see his face, but even just hearing his voice made me feel uneasy, yet full of anticipation for the future.

"Who could have thought... on the first day of the wedding, he didn't even lift my red veil before falling into a deep sleep.

"I sat at the head of the bed, waiting all night.

"He never opened his eyes to look at me...

"I told myself he was too tired.

"The wedding of the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall, how grand it was!

"He had to entertain guests from all directions, drink a lot of wine, and speak many words.

"Now that I was the Hall Master's wife, I had to understand him and could not be as willful as when I was unmarried.

"So, I lifted the veil myself and drank a cup of wedding wine.

"But I never expected that just as I was drinking, he woke up.

"He turned around and sat on the bed, quietly watching me... I wanted to call him 'husband,' but before I could finish, I couldn't speak anymore."

"The way he looked at me was certainly not the way one looks at his wife.

"It was as if... he was looking at an enemy, a corpse...

"That look still haunts me, waking me up in the middle of the night even now.

"Then he stood up, without a word, and walked away."

When Madam Wan reached this part of her story, the tremor and fear in her eyes did not seem fake.

Looking back, Wan Yutang truly didn’t want to marry her, but he had no choice. Naturally, he wouldn’t show her any kindness.

"Actually... at that moment, right then, I knew I had married the wrong person. I shouldn’t have married Wan Yutang...

"But there was still a glimmer of hope in my heart.

"I convinced myself he was just exhausted, overwhelmed by important matters.

"Romantic feelings are important, but in the face of the weighty responsibilities of Wusheng Hall, they naturally should be set aside...

"As a result, this neglect dragged on for nearly two years.

"During that time, people often asked me why I hadn’t had any children since the marriage?

"What could I say?

"Could I tell them my husband had barely spoken three words to me in nearly two years?

"Could I tell them he spent every night in the study, ignoring me, indifferent and distant?

"Of course not!

"I could only smile in response, but after smiling in front of people, what should I do in private?

"I considered ending it all, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

"Finally, that night, I went to the study to confront him, hoping to end things once and for all... but I never expected to see an unbelievable scene."

At this point, she looked up at everyone:

"He was... skinning a person!!"

"Skinning a person?"

Su Mo reacted with just the right amount of shock.

Even Hall Masters like Li Zhongming were horrified:

"How could this be? Madam... surely you must be mistaken?"

"In Wan Yutang's study, there was a secret room.

"When I went to find him that night, his study was empty, but the secret room door was slightly ajar.

"Maybe it was fate, or perhaps no one dared enter his study, so he got sloppy.

"In any case, when I went to find him, I didn’t find him in the study, but I saw light coming from the entrance of the secret room behind the bookshelf. Curiosity got the better of me, and I descended the corridor steps."

After walking for some time, I saw a place illuminated by firelight, looking like a torture chamber.

Wan Yutang wielded a skinning knife, suspending a person upside down and swinging the blade to peel the skin from top to bottom...

When I saw it, he had already peeled down to the waist.

I glanced at the person's face, and I couldn't contain my horror. That person... I recognized him, and so do you."

"Who?"

One of the Hall Masters immediately asked.

"...The former Second Hall Master, Xiao Xiong."

"What?"

"This can't be true..."

"Hall Master Wan, why would he do this?"

"Hall Master Xiao Xiong vanished, and Wusheng Hall couldn't locate him. Could it really be... because of this?"

However, as the Hall Masters discussed, they couldn't help but turn their gazes toward one person in the middle.

They watched as Xiao Feng, the Guicang Blade, stepped forward, staring at Madam Wan in astonishment:

"Madam, is what you said... true?"

"Every word I spoke is true."

Madam Wan looked at Xiao Feng, her eyes filled with guilt:

"If I lie, may I die a terrible death."

Xiao Feng shut his eyes, the veins in his hands bulging, and a faint hum of a blade emanated from the scabbard, ominously heavy.

At this moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Madam Wan:

"Madam, do you know why Hall Master Wan harmed my father?"

"Because he sought to master the Shadowcraft of the Eternal Night Valley..."

Before the shock of Shadowcraft could settle in, Madam Wan continued:

"That night, I witnessed this and couldn't bear the shock, but it also exposed me.

Wan Yutang's martial prowess far surpassed mine, and the moment he discovered me, I tried to flee, but it was too late.

Before I could escape the study, he seized me.

I was terrified, begging desperately, and in the end... I don't know what he was thinking, but he really didn't kill me.

He took me back to the room, and what should have happened on the wedding night occurred that night in a daze.

Afterward, he told me that if I wanted to live, I must not make a sound.

After this ordeal, how could I dare to think of anything else?

Although I always felt guilty towards the Hall Masters of Wusheng Hall, for the sake of self-preservation, I could only take care of myself first."

After that, my life became a constant struggle. Wan Yutang kept me by his side constantly, hardly ever letting me out of his sight.

Back then, everyone admired the seemingly deep love and unity between Wan Yutang and me as a couple.

But they had no idea he was just afraid I might say something wrong, so he kept me close to keep me in check.

Li Zhongming furrowed his brow:

"There was indeed a time like that. Even when the Hall Master called the other Hall Masters to discuss important matters, Madam Wan was always there, quietly listening."

"That's right."

Others nodded, clearly aware of this well-known fact.

"But that period only lasted a few months, didn’t it?"

This time, it was Deng Fengbai who spoke up.

"That was because... I got pregnant."

Madam Wan let out a soft sigh: "Maybe the child brought out a bit of his humanity again.

"For a while, he treated me decently.

"I seized the chance to dig into his past.

"That’s when I found out that before becoming the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall, he had roamed the martial world as Wan Renshan.

"In East City, he met a witch from the Eternal Night Valley.

"They were involved for a long time, and he only returned from East City when he was about to take over as Hall Master.

"Under her influence, he learned the dark arts of the Eternal Night Valley and even secretly set up a shadow hall, training a group of elite followers.

"In his mind, Wusheng Hall no longer mattered.

"He even shared the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra, which was supposed to be exclusive to the Hall Master, with others.

"For years, the Hall Masters of Wusheng Hall were locked in endless conflict.

"Yet he just watched the chaos unfold, even secretly backing certain people to crush the loyal and good.

"His behavior was downright vile.

"Even though I gave him a daughter and tried to use our marriage to convince him to change...

"But... how could he ever listen?

"Saying too much would make him threaten me with violence.

"In his heart, I meant nothing; he was always obsessed with the witch from the Eternal Night Valley in East City.

"I had no one to turn to, and fear haunted me day and night.

"He was Wan Yutang, the Hall Master of Wusheng Hall, holding the power of life and death over everyone within the territory of Wusheng Hall.

"And I was merely his wife, now aging, with no family left to rely on...

"It wasn’t until Ren Xiongfei came to the inner courtyard and saw Wan Yutang hitting me that he offered me comfort, treating me with the respect of a subordinate."

"Over the years, I have had no way to vent my suffering. Since he witnessed this with his own eyes, I... naturally told him everything."

Upon hearing this, everyone understood what they needed to, whether they should or not.

From the start, this story revolved around the entanglement between Ren Xiongfei and Madam Wan, and now it has come full circle.

Madam Wan continued:

"After Ren Xiongfei learned of this, he was both furious and disbelieving.

"He wanted to expose this, but feared Wusheng Hall would lose its standing in the martial world.

"He sought to confront Wan Hall Master, but doing so would be suicidal.

"For years, Ren Xiongfei has been tirelessly investigating this matter, but the deeper it involved Wan Hall Master's secrets, the more difficult it became.

"The Dark Hall encircles Wusheng Hall, and almost no one can escape its surveillance...

"To this day, there has been almost no progress. Even if I tell everyone, what good would it do?

"Even if everyone believes me, can we truly deal with Wan Hall Master?

"But today, everything changes...

"Chief Escort Su has arrived at Wusheng Hall, and Wan Hall Master dares to scheme against you because you killed the Night Lord under Liuyin City.

"Thus, you and Wan Hall Master have become bitter enemies.

"He seeks to avenge the Night Lord, to win the favor of the enchantress from the Eternal Night Valley... but he hasn't considered that if Chief Escort Su truly believes Wusheng Hall is behind this, what catastrophic disaster it would bring to Wusheng Hall!

"Moreover, Ren Xiongfei has met with me several times while investigating this matter, and he knows.

"Though he may not see the connection at first, once he does, I fear for my life.

"Today, I am risking everything, laying all my cards on the table, and only ask Chief Escort Su to stand up for me, save my life, and save Wusheng Hall!!"

With these words, she knelt again, pleading desperately.

Su Mo sighed deeply:

"So there's more to this... In that case, let Wan Hall Master show himself!"

The last sentence was infused with internal energy.

Since Madam Wan was willing to push all the blame onto Wan Hall Master, Su Mo took the opportunity to invite Wan Hall Master out.

This was why Su Mo had been observing the drama unfold without intervening.

He aimed to test Wan Hall Master without alerting him, and had been struggling to find a suitable reason. Unexpectedly, Madam Wan handed him the perfect opportunity.

Madam Wan directed a grand play, personally placing Wan Hall Master in the spotlight. How could Su Mo let such a good opportunity go to waste?

As Su Mo's voice faded, two figures emerged from the restricted area.

Around these two figures, several shadows surrounded them.

Suddenly, all the shadows converged, launching a joint attack on one person.

But a furious roar echoed, and with a powerful tug, all the shadows were thrown aside.

Despite this, he was sent flying back, spitting out blood.

His body coincidentally landed right beside Madam Wan, who looked up and immediately saw Hall Master Ren, her face instantly draining of color:

"Hall Master Ren!?"

Turning her head, she saw the person who had leaped over and couldn't help but roar:

"Wan Yutang!!!

"Our marital bond is irrevocably broken from this day forward. You have slaughtered your fellow disciples, practiced the dark arts of Eternal Night Valley, and mastered the forbidden Shadowcraft.

"Your deeds are now laid bare for all to see.

"Now you have even personally slain your fellow disciples... Today, I will fight you to the bitter end!!!"